Dictation transcriber system

ABSTRACT

A bracket is provided for stably mounting a small, portable transcriber with its controls positioned at substantially the same level as, and slightly in front of, the spacer bar of a typewriter. The bracket includes a receptacle providing a well, or compartment, dimensioned to receive the transcriber snugly therein. The receptacle may include an auxiliary well for receiving an alternating current adapter for the transcriber. The bracket includes a flat, horizontal mounting plate upon which the typewriter is positioned so that the weight of the typewriter will inhibit relative movement of the bracket. The receptacle may be vertically adjustable so that the bracket may be adapted for use with different models of typewriters having spacer bars at different vertical positions.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Wallace R. Wayniclr 3710 East Joppa Road, Baltimore, Md. 21236 [2!] Appl. No. 746,860

[22] Filed July 23, 1968 [45] Patented June 15, 1971 [54] DICTATION TRANSCRIBER SYSTEM Primary Examiner-Ernest T. Wright, Jr. Att0rneyShapiro and Shapiro ABSTRACT: A bracket is provided! for stably mounting a small, portable transcriber with its controls positioned at substantially the same level as, and slightly in front of, the spacer bar of a typewriter. The bracket includes a receptacle provid ing a well, or compartment, dimensioned to receive the transcriber snugly therein. The receptacle may include an auxiliary well for receiving an alternating current adapter for the transcriber. The bracket includes a flat, horizontal mounting plate upon which the typewriter is positioned so that the weight of the typewriter will inhibit relative movement of the bracket. The receptacle may be vertically adjustable so that the bracket may be adapted for use with different models of typewriters having spacer bars at different vertical positions.

PMENTEU JUN 1 519?:

SHEET 1 OF 3 INVENTOR WALLACE R. WAYNICK SAG/Hi0 C206! 6160 1/0 ATTORNEY 5 PATENTEUJUNISISTI 3,584,724

sum 2 OF 3 INVENTOR FIG. 3 WALLACE R. WAYNICK 3160 11/0 and \SfiO/Jl/O ATTOR NEYS PATENTED JUN 1 5 I97! SHEET 3 OF 3 INVENTOR WALLACE R. WAYNlCK FIG. 6

\ /icz uio and 5/60 1170 ATTORNEY 5 DICTATION TRANSCRIBER SYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to dictation transcribing systems and, more particularly, to a system which employs a small, portable dictation transcriber.

Dictation machines are frequently employed for recording material for transcription by a typist. It is customary to employ a special reproducer, or transcriber, which will be equipped with a headset enabling the typist to listen to the dictated material as it is typed. Transcribers are usually somewhat bulky and are positioned to one side of or at some distance from the typewriter. In order to enable the typist to exercise control over the transcriber so that it may be back-spaced or advanced, it has been conventional practice to provide a remote control switch unit which controls relays included within the transcriber. Typically, the remote control switch unit may be provided in the form of foot pedal switches which may be operated by the feet of the typist. It has also been proposed to provide manually operated remote control switches on a bracket associated with the typewriter so that the typist may operate the remote control switches manually in much the same way as the keys of the typewriter are operated.

The Philips Lamp Company of the Netherlands has recently introduced a small, portable tape recorder sold under the name and model designation Philips 85 Pocket Memo. This tape recorder has very small dimensions, being approximately 4% inches in width, 2 /2 inches in height, and IAinches in depth. A tape recorder of this character, being battery powered, has wide utility as a convenient portable dictating recording device. However, due to its small size, it is not feasible to include remotely controlled relays therein. Therefore, when this tape recorder is employed as a-transcriber, it has not been possible to provide remote control switches of the type described hereinabove. Although some attempts have been made to employ this tape recorder as a transcriber by placing it closely adjacent to a typewriter so that the typist might exercise control directly by manually operating the controls of the recorder, it has been found that, due to its light weight, the recorder is not stable and is easily tipped over or moved out of position when operated. For this reason, thistape recorder has not been acceptable as a transcriber.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore the principal object of the present invention to provide an improved dictation transcription system employing a small, portable transcriber.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a special mounting bracket for stably supporting a small, portable tape recorder closely adjacent to a typewriter so that it may conveniently be controlled manually by the typist.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of a dictation transcription system which includes means for stably supporting a small, portable tape recorder in a receptacle which is stably associated with a typewriter.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a transcriber mounting bracket of the above-mentioned character which includes means for receiving an alternating current adapter for use with the tape recorder.

Yet another object involves the provision of means on a transcription transcriber supporting bracket of the aforementioned character for vertically adjusting the position of the transcriber receiving receptacle so that the controls of the tape recorder may be conveniently located at substantially the same level as the spacer bar of different models of typewriters.

Briefly, the invention contemplates the provision of a transcriber mounting bracket including a receptacle having a transcriber receiving well with substantially the same width and depth dimensions as the transcriber so that a side of the transcriber may snugly be received therein. The bracket includes a ilm horizontal mounting plate upon which the typewriter is placed for stably associating the transcriber bracket with the typewriter. In order to accommodate an alternating current adapter, the receptacle includes an additional well, or compartment, for receiving the adapter. Since many different models of typewriters are on the market, each having its spacer bar at a different vertical elevation, it is also contemplated by the invention that the receptacle be vertically adjustable so that the controls of the transcriber be positionable at substantially the vertical level of the spacer bar of a particular model of typewriter with which the transcriber is employed.

The foregoing and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention and the manner in which the same are accomplished will become more readily apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention which taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, which illustrates preferred and exemplary embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 shows a partial perspective view of a dictation transcription system of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a dictation transcription system of the invention with the typewriter removed;

FIG. 3 shows a partial perspective exploded view showing the transcriber bracket;

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an additional embodiment of the invention with the typewriter removed;

FIG. 5 shows a partial plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 shows a partial vertical sectional view of the embodiment ofFIG. 4 taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to FIG. 1, it will be seen that a dictation transcription system of the invention includes a small, portable transcriber 10 which is stably supported by a transcriber bracket 12 in close association with a typewriter 14. While it is to be understood that any small, portable transcriber may be employed in the dictation transcription system of the invention, a Philips Pocket Memo" tape recorder is shown employed as the transcriber 10. This tape recorder I0, in the orientation shown in FIG. I, has a width of -4%inches, a height of 2%inches, and a depth of IAinches. In order to play back material recorded in this tape recorder 10 a loud speaker 16 is provided and, optionally, the signal developed in the tape recorder 10 may be coupled through a jack l8 plugged in one end thereof and a cable 20 to a conventional earphone headset 22. In order to control the operation of the tape recorder 10, it is provided with a pivoted control button 23, having actuating ends 24 and 26, along one side 27 thereof. It is to be understood that by depressing one of the actuating ends 24 of control 23, the tape is advanced in the forward direction, while depression of actuating end 26 functions to cause the tape recorder 10 to advance the tape in the backward direction so that a portion of the material recorded might be replayed. Control 23 is self-latching when actuating end 24 is depressed so that ordinary playback of the transcriber 10 may be continuously effected without the constant attention of the typist. However, control 23 is spring-biased to return end 26 to its undepressed position when it is released. An off-on and volume control knob 28 is also provided on side 27 of transcriber I0.

Since, as previously explained, tape recorder 10 is quite light, if it is employed in a free standing manner on a table top or the like, it will not be stable and will be prone to being shifted in position or to being tipped over when control 23 is operated by the typist. Therefore, according to the present in vention, a transcriber bracket 12 is provided for stably supporting tape recorder 10 adjacent to typewriter 14. Trans criber bracket 12 includes a transcriber receiving receptacle 29. As shown more clearly in FIG. 3, this receptacle 29 provides a well, or compartment, 30 having width and depth dimensions which are substantially equal to the width and depth dimensions of tape recorder so that the tape recorder 10 may be snugly received therein with the side 27 of the tape recorder 10 facing upwardly as shown in FIG. 1. It is to be understood that the bottom wall of receptacle 29 will be so positioned vertically that side 27 of transcriber 10 will be positioned at substantially the same vertical elevation as, and slightly in front of, the spacer bar 32 of the typewriter 14. In this way, the typist may conveniently manually depress actuating ends 24 and 26 of control 23 in much the same manner as she operates the keys and spacer bar 32 of the typewriter 14.

Turning specifically to FIGS. 2 and 3, it will be seen that transcriber bracket 12 includes a horizontal substantially flat mounting plate 34 which, as shown in FIG. 1, will be positioned beneath typewriter 14. In this way, the weight of the typewriter 14 serves to inhibit relative movement of transcriber bracket 12, thus stably associating the transcriber bracket 12 with the typewriter 14 and providing a stable support for transcriber 10.

In order to support receptacle 29, mounting plate 34 is secured to a vertical mounting wall 36. If the transcriber bracket 12 is made of molded plastic, vertical mounting wall 36 may conveniently be formed integrally with horizontal mounting plate 34. However, if the transcriber bracket 12 is made of wood, or a similar material, the mounting plate 34 may be glued, or otherwise secured, to the vertical mounting wall 36. It will be observed that the vertical mounting wall 36 extends downwardly'from mounting plate 34, and it is contemplated that the transcriber bracket 12 will be positioned on a typewriter table or supporting surface so that the vertical mounting wall 36 extends downwardly in front of the edge of the table.

As already mentioned, the mounting bracket 12 positions transcriber 10 so that controls 23 and 28 are at substantially the same level as the spacer bar 32 of the typewriter 14. However, different models of typewriters are provided with spacer bars at different vertical elevations. In order to make the transcriber bracket 12 adaptable for use with several models of typewriters, the receptacle 29 is adjustably mounted on vertical mounting wall 36. This is accomplished by providing pairs of screw holes 40, 42 and 44 at different vertical elevations adjacent opposite ends of the back wall 46 of receptacle 29. Similarly, vertical mounting wall 36 is also provided with pairs of screw holes 48, 50 and 52 at different vertical elevations thereon adjacent opposite ends thereof. in order to secure back wall 46 of receptacle 29 to vertical mounting wall 36, screws or bolts 54, 56, 58 and 60 are provided in conjunction with nuts 62, 64, 66 and 68. Bolt 54 may be passed through one of the screw holes 40, 42 and 44 and one of screw holes 48, 50 and 52 at one end and be secured thereon by nut 62. Bolt 56 may similarly be passed through a pair of screw holes in back wall 46 and vertical mounting wall 36 at the same end. In like manner, bolts 58 and 60 are passed through pairs of holes in the back wall 46 and vertical mounting wall 36 at the other'end. In this way, the vertical position of receptacle 29 may be vertically adjusted in increments established by the spacing between the respective screw holes, and top wall 27 of transcriber 10 may be positioned at substantially the level of the spacer bar of several different typewriter models. As examples, two different possible vertical adjustments of receptacle 29 are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, transcriber 10 is battery powered with no external source of power necessary. It is sometimes desirable, however, to employ an alternating current source with a transcriber of this sort so as to avoid the expense and inconvenience of frequently changing batteries. To this end, it is common practice to provide an alternating current adapter. Accordingly, it is necessary, when it is desired to use such an adapter, to construct the transcriber bracket to receive the same. The manner in which this may be accomplished is shown in the embodiment of FIG. 4. As before, the transcriber 10 is shown with its side 27 facing upwardly for convenient operation of controls 23 and 28. However, a difierent transcriber bracket 112 is employed. Here, the receptacle 129 includes a first compartment 130 (see FIG. 5) for receiving transcriber 10 which will be dimensioned in the same manner as compartment 30 in the embodiment of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. In addition to compartment 130, receptacle 129 is provided with a second compartment 131 which is dimensioned so as to snugly receive an alternating current adapter 70 as shown in FIG. 4. Adapter 70 is connected to a power cord 72 having a control switch 74 and an electrical plug 76 whereby the alternating current adapter 70 may be connected to a conventional alternating current power socket. The adapter 70 includes rectifying means for converting the alternating current received on line 72 to direct current of the voltage level required by transcriber 10. This direct current is connected to suitable terminals within the transcriber 10 by means of a direct current cable 78. As will be observed from FIG. 5, receptacle 129 includes an intermediate dividing wall for separating compartments 130 and 131. In order to more easily accommodate direct current cable 78, dividing wall 80, as shown in FIG. b, may be of shortened height relative to the end and sidewalls of receptacle 129. This is illustrated in FIG. 6, where it is seen that dividing wall 80 is considerably shorter than end wall 82.

Receptacle 129 is otherwise substantially similar to receptacle 29 as shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. A back wall 146 of the receptacle 129 is adjustably mounted vertically on a vertical mounting wall 136 which is secured to or integral with a horizontal mounting plate 134 adapted to receive a typewriter thereon.

It is to be understood that transcriber brackets 12 and 112 in the two embodiments shown may be made of any suitable material. For example, it is contemplated that the parts exclusive of the bolts and nuts be formed of molded thermoplastic or thermosetting materials. In this case, the vertical mounting walls and horizontal mounting plates may be integral and the receptacle will be made integrally as well. Alternatively, the transcriber mounting brackets may be made of other materials such as wood or metal. In the case of wood, the separate parts thereof may be glued; and in the case of metal, the various parts of the transcriber bracket may be welded.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes can be made without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.

The invention I claim is: 1. A dictation transcribing system comprising, in combination:

a small, portable transcriber having given width, depth and height dimensions and control means along one side thereof; I

a typewriter; and

a transcriber mounting bracket for stably supporting said transcriber adjacent to said typewriter and comprising means for mounting said transcriber with said one side facing upwardly and positioned to facilitate convenient operation by a typist, said means for mounting said transcriber including a receptacle having a transcriber receiving well with substantially the same width and depth dimensions as said transcriber so that a side of said transcriber opposite to said one side may be snugly received therein with said one side facing upwardly, said mounting bracket including a horizontal mounting plate positionable beneath said typewriter, whereby the weight of said typewriter thereon will .inhibit relative movement of said mounting bracket and typewriter.

2. A dictation transcribing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the bottom of said well is so positioned that said one side of said transcriber is located at substantially the same level as and slightly in front of a spacer bar of said typewriter.

3. A dictation transcribing system as recited in claim 2, wherein said transcriber mounting bracket further comprises adjustable securing means for selectively securing said receptacle to said horizontal mounting plate at different vertical positions relative to said horizontal mounting plate whereby said one side of said transcriber may be selectively positioned at substantially the level of the spacer bar of different models of typewriters.

4. A dictation transcribing system as recited in claim 3, wherein said adjustable securing means comprises a vertical mounting wall secured on one side to one edge of said horizontal mounting plate, said vertical mounting wall having pairs of mounting holes at different vertical positions and having a given horizontal spacing, said receptacle having a back wall abutting on said vertical mounting wall, said back wall being provided with at least one pair of screw holes having the same horizontal spacing as said given horizontal spacing, said screw holes being aligned with a selected pair of said mounting holes, and bolts extending through said aligned screw and mounting holes to fix said receptacle on said vertical mounting wall.

5. A dictation transcribing system as recited in claim 1, wherein said receptacle further includes an adapter receiving well dimensioned to receive an alternating current adapter for use with said transcriber. 

1. A dictation transcribing system comprising, in combination: a small, portable transcriber having given width, depth and height dimensions and control means along one side thereof; a typewriter; and a transcriber mounting bracket for stably supporting said transcriber adjacent to said typewriter and comprising means for mounting said transcriber with said one side facing upwardly and positioned to facilitate convenient operation by a typist, said means for mounting said transcriber including a receptacle having a transcriber receiving well with substantially the same width and depth dimensions as said transcriber so that a side of said transcriber opposite to said one side may be snugly received therein with said one side facing upwardly, said mounting bracket including a horizontal mounting plate positionable beneath said typewriter, whereby the weight of said typewriter thereon will inhibit relative movement of said mounting bracket and typewriter.
 2. A dictation transcribing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the bottom of said well is so positioned that said one side of said transcriber is located at substantially the same level as and slightly in front of a spacer bar of said typewriter.
 3. A dictation transcribing system as recited in claim 2, wherein said transcriber mounting bracket further comprises adjustable securing means for selectively securing said receptacle to said horizontal mounting plate at different vertical positions relative to said horizontal mounting plate whereby said one side of said transcriber may be selectively positioned at substantially the level of the spacer bar of different models of typewriters.
 4. A dictation transcribing system as recited in claim 3, wherein said adjustable securing means comprises a vertical mounting wall secured on one side to one edge of said horizontal mounting plate, said vertical mounting wall having pairs of mounting holes at different vertical positions and having a given horizontal spacing, said receptacle having a back wall abutting on said vertical mounting wall, said back wall being provided with at least one pair of screw holes having the same horizontal spacing as said given horizontal spacing, said screw holes being aligned with a selected pair of said mounting holes, and bolts extending through said aligned screw and mounting holes to fix said receptacle on said vertical mounting wall.
 5. A dictation transcribing system as recited in claim 1, wherein said receptacle further includes an adapter receiving well dimensioned to receive an alternating current adapter for use with said transcriber. 